Photo by Ted Campbell. |
As the U.S.
dollar has slipped against the world's major
currencies in recent years, budget travel information
has become vital for a growing number of travelers.
It is for a good reason that Arthur Frommer
discontinued the "Europe from XX $ a Day" guidebook
series a few year's ago, because a book titled "Europe
on $200 a Day" does not sound very attractive.
With fuel costs and extra fees subject to constant
increases, airfare fees are also on the rise.
All these factors make budget travel an attractive
option.
The following
selection of websites and resources is intended
to help readers become more budget savvy,
and provide vital resources and information
for budget-conscious international travelers.
Nevertheless, budget travel is a
relative term, and depends on your
cirumstances, finances, and goals. The websites
below suggest practical ways to not only
travel cheaper, but also how to have a more
authentic experience by traveling the way
the locals do in an independent manner or
even as members of small group tours in some
destinations.
Please explore
the many of the left-navigation options on
this page for budget travel options in key
areas such as accommodations and transportation,
etc. —Contributing
Editor Volker Poelzl |
Affordable
Adventures, Off-the-Beaten-Path
Affordable travel without sacrificing comfort. We offer affordable unique ‘tested’ trips with knowledgeable guides who will show you the real local culture.
Hiking, Photography & Painting trips in the Whitewashed Villages & Mountains of Andalucía, Southern Spain. Walk next to Frigate Birds, Red & Blue-Footed Boobies, Owls, 100-year-old Tortoises, Penguins & Sea Lions in the Galapagos Islands & sleep on a 1st Class Catamaran Yacht. Wander UNESCO Medieval Towns on a Fjord in Montenegro. Enjoy cooking lessons in Crete. Explore the timeless beauty of Cuba and dance to local music in Old Historic Havana. Hike next to Glaciers in Patagonia. Mingle with Counts & Castles in Transylvania, Romania. Spy on Lions, Leopards, Cheetah, Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hippos and Elephants on Safari in the Spectacular Serengeti. Explore the world with like-minded travelers on our Small Group trips. |
 |
Dates: All
Year
Cost: Affordable budget prices
with superior accommodations. We match single
travelers to avoid the cost of the single supplement.
Contact: Travels Together LLC,
505 E. 82nd Street, Suite 4D, New York, NY 10028.
Email: info@travelstogether.com
Website: www.travelstogether.com |
Featured |
Authentic
French Experiences with Aliore Worldwide
Workshops
Aliore offers low budget immersion programs
in order to experience the French lifestyle
and culture in depth: Homestay English
teaching programs: Share your language
with a French family in exchange for free room
and board; Family and individual voluntourism in
the South of France: share meaningful holidays
participating in a green tourism project; Cooking,
art & crafts workshops in the South
of France for creative holidays with local teachers or welcome
a French tutor into your home in order
to practice your French on a daily basis! |
 |
Dates: All
year round depending on the program chosen.
Cost: From 80 € depending on the program
– Please visit our website.
Contact: ALIORE, Worldwide
Workshops, 23 rue Jean Giono 34080 Montpellier,
France
Tel.: 00 33 951 79 79 72.
Email: infos@aliore.org
Website: www.aliore.org
(Language & Lifestyle programme) |
Featured |
Editor's
note: Of course all selections in any
list are inherently subjective to some degree,
and there are more and more websites
and blogs offering much excellent advice. We believe
the following to be the best general websites on budget travel abroad, and have specific recommendations
for budget transportation, accommodation, etc.
in other areas of our site.
BootsnAll
Travel features travel stories
from regional experts, advice for budget travel
bargains, forums, and blogs for independent
budget travelers. Around the world travel tips
constitute one of their richest sections. The
site also sells around-the-world airline tickets
with an easy interface to create your own budget
itinerary.
Budget
Travel Online draws from Arthur
Frommer's Budget Travel magazine. The site offers
travel guides, travel tips, and advice on trip
planning, restaurant recommendations, city guides,
and popular destinations
The
Cheapest Destinations blog by Tim
Leffel consists in an award-winning series
of posts which serve as excellent practical
articles on budget travel in and of themselves.
Few are as connected to practical matters and
issues on the subject of budget travel worldwide, and Tim is author of two books on the subject of cheap travel and living abroad.
The
Frugal Traveler, a blog hosted
by New York Times travel columnist Seth Kugel,
is full posts relating budget travel and related
tips from his journeys worldwide.
Hostelworld.com provides
hostel bookings, forums, guides and travel help for
destinations worldwide, with a growing number of informative
travel features.
International
Internatonal Student Identity Card (ISIC) not
only sells international students I.D. cards,
but provides forums and tips for student travel
on a budget. The ISIC Card offers holders over
discounts in over 130 countries.
Rick
Steves' Europe Through the Back Door is
perhaps the foremost expert on budget travel
in the country, particularly within Europe.
Author of over 30 books, and seemingly everywhere
in the media promoting his responsible and practical
form of budget travel, Rick was the first columnist for Transitions Abroad Magazine in
his own Back
Door Travel section.
The
Professional Hobo, hosted by Nora
Dunn, is an excellent blog full of very
practical information by one who has traveled
since 2006 using the advice she generously offers
in her posts and ebooks.
Travelfish is
an independent travel guide to most countries in Southeast
Asia researched by travelers for travelers. The truly
outstanding site includes many budget travel planning
tips in the region.
